Do you have to pay for a police bond or bail?
National Police Service Act · sources read 5 Oct 2026
No. The law says no fee can be charged on any bail bond or recognizance taken by a police officer. If police set cash bail, it is a security that you will go to court, not a fee, and you have a right to an official receipt.
- Where
- The police station where you are held; complaints to IPOA (toll free 1559)
Steps
- Ask the officer in charge of the station to release you on bond. Signing the bond itself costs nothing.
- If you are given cash bail, pay it and ask for the official receipt. Police must tell you that you have this right.
- Go to court on the date given. The cash bail is handed in to the court by that date.
- If an officer demands a fee or refuses a receipt, you can complain at a police station. A complaint against a police officer must be recorded and reported to IPOA.
- You can also complain to IPOA directly: toll free 1559 or email complaints@ipoa.go.ke.
Watch out
- If you miss your court date, the magistrate can order your cash bail forfeited, or keep it on deposit until you appear.
- Cash bail is different from a fee: it is money pledged as a guarantee that you will appear for trial.
- Cash bail must be reasonable: enough to make sure you come to court, not more.
Who this covers
- Anyone released by a police officer on a bail bond, recognizance or personal bond in a criminal case.
Official sources (3)
- Bail and Bond Policy Guidelines (March 2015) judiciary.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- IPOA: Complaints ipoa.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- National Police Service Act (Cap. 84), version of 15 September 2023 new.kenyalaw.org · read 5 Oct 2026